Having been overlooked for the captaincy of Northampton Saints, Ben Cohen has left the club after buying himself out of his contract.
England winger leaves Franklin's Gardens after 14 years
Having been overlooked for the captaincy of Northampton Saints, Ben Cohen has left the club after buying himself out of his contract.
The winger had effectively gone on strike following the outbreak of the dispute, with Northampton refusing to terminate a contract which still had one year left to run.
However, a deal has now been agreed which allows Cohen to leave the club he first played for in 1996.
Chief executive Allan Robson explained: "Ben was under contract until the end of this season so we have obviously had extensive discussions to fully understand his situation.
"The result is that we have reached a position which we feel is in the interests of both the club and the player.
"The club has agreed an early release, Ben has made a payment honouring the remainder of his contract and we are parting on the best of terms."
Decision
The problem centred around the decision taken by Northampton's new director of rugby Jim Mallinder in the summer to appoint Bruce Reihana as captain.
Cohen had hoped to lead the side back into the Guinness Premiership at the first attempt, but instead announced his decision to leave.
Club chairman Keith Barwell recounted :"Ben came to see me and said he was unhappy about not being appointed captain. He said: 'That's it, I'm off'."
Northampton initially refused to terminate Cohen's contract, however, with the player subsequently refusing to attend training sessions.
Deal
But, following Monday's announcement of a deal, both parties now seem keen to draw a line under the affair.
"My career at the Saints been very special, especially winning the Heineken Cup in 2000, reaching three Twickenham cup finals and two Premiership play-offs," added Cohen, who made 270 appearances.
"I have many friends at the club and it will always have a special place in my heart.
"I am grateful to the Saints for the opportunities they have given me and I wish the club all the best for their promotion campaign and the years to come.
"I would also like to thank the supporters. They've always been there for me and I will miss them."
A World Cup winner in 2003, Cohen withdrew from England's training squad in May to spend more time with wife Abby, who is expecting twins.
He has previously been linked to an immediate return to the Premiership with Northampton's rivals Leicester.
